Investment in the River Clyde has helped tackle pollution and restore habitats, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has confirmed. SEPA has reported that the Clyde is in significantly better health than expected thanks to investment by Scottish Water, SEPA, farmers and local authorities.

Between 2010 and 2021, Scottish Water will have invested more than £600 million in wastewater treatment works and sewerage systems in the area.

The Scottish Government’s Water Environment Fund (WEF) which is administered by SEPA has helped restore natural habitats by removing fish barriers and concrete channels to allow fish to reach the upper reaches of the Clyde catchment. The WEF fund has already invested £3.1million in river restoration projects near Hamilton and Shotts, with more investment planned for this coming year.

These efforts have resulted in:

River quality improving from ‘bad’, the worst category, to ‘moderate’ in 2015 with some stretches of the river now ‘excellent’;

The quality of the water discharged from wastewater treatment works has improved and overflows from sewers have been limited;

100km of waterways opened up with salmon reintroduced in higher parts of the river;